The wireless distribution of broadband signals within a building is becoming commonplace. Wi-Fi is now the most common way people access the Internet. Smart phones compliant with 3G and 4G standards are commonly used inside buildings. Personal computers, laptop computers, cellular telephones, tablet computers, PDAs and other portable devices are typically configured to receive a wireless broadband signal. In addition, televisions, DVD players, Blu-ray disc players, smart thermostats, printers, copiers and many other digitally enabled home or business appliances are configured for wireless network access. To meet the needs of these and similar devices, many buildings now include a wireless access point (WAP), base station or repeater connected to a wired data or communication network to send and receive data or communication signals from the wired network to wireless devices within or near the building.
A typical WAP, base station or repeater includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter. The transmitter is placed at a selected location within or near a building to provide wireless communications to wireless devices located throughout the building. For instance, a wireless router may be located in one room of a multi-level, multi-room building having several network devices scattered throughout the building.
One problem with the transmission of wireless broadband signals within a building is difficulty obtaining a sufficiently strong communication channel between the WAP or repeater and various receiving devices. For example, the exceptionally popular Wi-Fi standard defined in IEEE 802.11b is a low powered solution (less than 1 W) having a range of no more than 300 feet from the transmitter. The closer a receiving device is to the transmitter the better chance the receiver will have of connecting and typically the faster the Wi-Fi uplink/downlink performance will be. Connectivity and signal strength problems can be exacerbated by the walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces or barriers present in a typical building which can cause signal attenuation and reflection.
Thus, some wireless devices located within range of a WAP or other transmitter may be properly connected to the wireless network while other wireless devices located farther away from the transmitter, but still within the building premises, may fall outside the wireless coverage zone or within a zone of marginal coverage. The range of a wireless network within a building can be extended with multiple access points or dedicated extenders. These solutions however, involve additional cost and additional cabling between access points. Therefore, a simple and cost effective solution for extending wireless coverage is needed. The embodiments disclosed herein are intended to overcome one or more of the problems discussed above, and to provide related advantages.